A mother whose daughters were hit with pepper spray by a police officer at their school in Birmingham, Ala., joined the SPLC and a coalition of advocacy groups today to present the city council and Mayor William Bell with a petition signed by more...

"Artist and co-founder of CultureStrike, Favianna Rodriguez, created the “Migration is Beautiful” butterfly image. “The butterfly symbol was not my idea. Immigrant rights activists have seen the butterfly as a symbol of fluid and peaceful migration for generations. To me, the monarch butterfly represents the dignity and resilience of migrants, and the right that all living beings have to move freely. I believe that we shouldn’t allow our identity to be defined only by our suffering, nor by the actions that others have taken to devalue our families and our labor — rather, let us celebrate our beauty, pride, and resilience in the face of inequality and injustice.”

"Local student leaders from the Ferguson Youth Initiative came up with the idea to hold a summit to talk about how to make change in the aftermath of the tragedy their community has experienced. In late September, young people gathered at Florissant Valley Community College just miles from where Michael Brown was shot. Joined by community members and educators, the group talked about how the relationship between youth and the police of Ferguson needs to change, and what activities are needed in their town."

The Associated Press has dropped the phrase "illegal immigrant" from its popular stylebook, a move welcomed by immigrant advocates who argue the term is a dehumanizing slur. The influential AP Stylebook is the definitive guide for reporters and editors both within the news cooperative and beyond. We’re joined by Rinku Sen, publisher of Colorlines.com and president of the Applied Research Center, which launched the the "Drop the I-Word" campaign in 2010 in order to remove the term "illegals" from everyday use and public discourse.

On the 50th anniversary of the Moynihan Report (The Negro Family: The Case For National Action), john a. powell of the Haas Institute discusses the economic and political struggles faced by black communities today

Community Village Sites's insight:

Powell explains:

Segregation was [and is] about separating access to opportunity.

The War on Drugs is really a war on Black people.

We may have a plutocracy now. Rule by the rich.

White people don't see Black people as being part of the country, as being legitimate members.

We bailed out banks, and GM with billions of dollars, but we did not bail out Detroit to help the African-Americans who live there.

We previously reported on the death of 17-year old Jessica Hernandez. Jessica was killed on January 26, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. Authorities said Jessica was in a stolen vehicle and tried running over one of the officers, striking him on the leg, which led to that and another officer firing their guns.

A witness, 16-year old Trina Diaz, who was in the passenger’s seat during the incident, stated that the officers were standing next to the car when they fired, and that the car hit the officer only after Jessica was struck, which veered the car in his direction, pinning his leg between the car and a fence.

The coroner’s report shows that Jessica was shot twice to her left side; once to the chest where the bullet went through her heart and both lungs. The coroner determined that none of the shots were fired at close range. Jessica also had bruises and abrasions to her face, torso and neck.

“The stereotypes of people living in poverty throughout the United States are among the most negative prejudices that we have. And people basically view particularly homeless people as having no redeeming qualities” ~ Susan Fiske, Professor of Psychology. Princeton University

Hi all! I recently wrote this article in Truth Out "Is A Safe And Legal Immigration System Possible?" featuring stories and background from Guest. Please give it a read and spread the word, we only have two weeks left to raise what we need to make Guest happen!Thank you, as always, for your support,LVD

Community Village Sites's insight:

A border activist said "You are either a worker or a guest. You don't have a guest in your house, then ask them to wash your dishes."

During enslavement the workers were taken care of, although only like property, and only when not being beaten and raped.

Now that enslavement is over by law, the U.S. doesn't want agricultural workers to even have citizenship.

Women On 20s aims to compel historic change by convincing President Obama that NOW is the time to put a woman's face on our paper currency. But who should it be? We believe that's for you, the public, to decide from a slate of 15 inspiring American women heroes. When voting goes live March 1st, this will be the place for you to cast your vote. Until then, be sure to visit the candidates page, where we will be revealing one remarkable woman each day. Together, let’s pump up the value of our money

Once a term to describe the laudable aim of ensuring equal representation, “diversity” has devolved into a trite talking point.

It’s an issue that Shonda Rhimes, the mastermind behind television hits such as Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy and How To Get Away With Murder, touched on whileaccepting an award at the Human Rights Campaign’s gala event in Los Angeles last weekend. In her speech, Rhimes said she’s tired of the way “diversity” is understood by most people.

"Roberto “Dr. Cintli” Rodriguez is an assistant professor in Mexican-American studies at the University of Arizona, is the author of several books, including, Justice: A Question of Race and Our Sacred Maiz Is Our Mother. In 2013, he received the Ella Baker/Septima Clark Human Rights Award from the American Educational Research Association for his work supporting the Mexican American Studies Program in the Tucson Unified School District, which has been ground zero for the attack on Mexican American Studies by the State of Arizona."

“The purpose of this program is for our officers to learn basic commands,” said Jackson Police Department Police Chief Lee Vance,.

“We’re not looking to make anybody fluent,” Vance added.

According to Fox News Latino, the two-hour Spanish class is designed for those who have no prior knowledge of the language and is mandatory for all officers.

A super helpful skill that will come in handy if an officer encounters a Spanish native speaker from anything to a traffic violation to more serious matters.

Latinos have been drawn to Mississippi the past few decades because of the state’s burgeoning chicken processing industry, according to Fox News Latino. Jackson, the state’s capital and its largest city, has a population of about 200,000 – roughly 2 percent of whom are Latino, according to the latest U.S. Census data.

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